Tactica Theory - Honour Guard

[Azash]

Personally I agree with Deus Ex Ferrum. Dumping 400 pts into one model is over the top but Artificer and the Burning Blade only total out to 205 pts. Think about that you have 6 (7 with a banner) attacks on the charge your hitting on 3's wounding on 2's (str 7!) for most stuff, ignoring armor and striking at initiative.

 

At that rate your HG and CM can take out terminators. Run IH tactics and your CM is a 2+, 4++, 6+fnp, and 5+ IWND with 4 wounds. He don't need a storm shield at that rate.

 

With your cm taking care of the ap 2 why not just run power swords and maybe a power axe since you can hide the Ap 2 in the squad. It pretty much covers all your bases. Short of a Blood Thirster your pretty good at taking most things out since you have 6 shots and your swing at initiative for the most part.

[Captain Idaho]

The beauty of Honour Guard is the range of units they can kill are so high. Character MCs aside, anything with initiative 4 or less is dead through rate of attacks, whilst even small numbers of Terminators and other tough units can be torrented.

 

Even Genestealers need to rely on rending and avoiding the Chapter Master tanking all the hits.

[Brother Tancred]

Does anyone have suggestions on equipping the champion? Part of me wants to wait and see if he's faqed to get a relic blade before modelling while the other half just wants a thunder hammer purely for the rule of cool :D

[Brother Captain Andrew]

At this point i think the best option is to run them with a librarian. If you are running ultramarines I'd take tiggy with divination powers, as that may be the most broken unit in the codex. Alternately I'm planning on using kantor and a libby with the shield relic. Biomancy can give some solid bonuses (fnp) and you can tank wounds with the libby. It makes can solid assault compliment to a sternguard list.

[DasPanzerIstUber]

So what sort of power weapons suit these guys? On paper I would say the weight of mace attacks would be better than swords and spears and an axe or two just for some reliability versus 2+ saves.

 

Not sure about the reluctance regarding Burning Blade, AP2 at initiative looks great to me. It even has Blind for extra hilarity. :D

 

Disclaimer: NOT A TOURNAMENT PLAYER.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

For me, just because of how common MEQ armies are, I think a majority of swords is the best bet, with an axe and/or a mace thrown in for flavor. 

[Brother Captain Andrew]

Personally I'd say swords and maces. Honor guard really shouldn't be taking on most things that have a 2+. Maces excel as xenos killers (eldar, dark eldar, orcs) and swords as MEQ killers.

[goosey_j]

I'd say majority swords, with one mace (ID to most aliens and puny humans) and one axe. Champion with the TH. Above 5, you might want to look at bringing a Relic Blade as well. 

 

As for the chapter master - Artificer Armour, Shield Eternal and a weapon of your choice. that clocks him at roughly Land Raider cost, but good luck killing him. With clever playing "Slay the Warlord" would just not happen for the enemy. And he'll pretty much kill whatever he goes up against, assuming you bought him a TH or a Relic Blade.

[DarkGuard]

 

For me, just because of how common MEQ armies are, I think a majority of swords is the best bet, with an axe and/or a mace thrown in for flavor. 

 

I'd agree with swords too, I think they deal with most things ably, and we still have weight of attacks with them.

 

And then there's also the fact that my Chapter prefers swords to other weapons, and all my models are therefore made with swords....

[Iron Father Ferrum]

I am curious as to why so many people are claiming that a hammer on the champ is the obvious way to go...  Seems like a surefire way to make sure he dies in his first challenge to me, since you're slowing him down in the face of I4 opponents like sergeants (one bad 2+ and he's toast), while against anything I5+ or MCs, he just becomes a most expensive casualty.

[Captain Idaho]

Been using a trio of power lances and haven't had a problem. With Honour Guard, I'm normally doing the charging and with the Chapter Master in there I can thin the ranks of powered armour easily enough. I've got a power sword on the Ancient too.

 

Against lessor opponents a power lance is the equivalent of a power sword anyway. Unless I charge.

 

Also when you're getting charged you're probably getting shot too, so the first models to go will be the power lances anyway. ;)

[BassWave]

Which is why i'll just stick with the axe on the champ. Its free and can still deal out decent damage. I think my next two guard will have mauls, just to try them out, and it would be fun to model.

[minigun762]

Which is why i'll just stick with the axe on the champ. Its free and can still deal out decent damage. I think my next two guard will have mauls, just to try them out, and it would be fun to model.

I was thinking the opposite actually.

Since you're forced to challenge, take the Maul as it's the only true all comer choice.

Give the other guys the axes as they are protected from challenges.

[Captain Idaho]

Well you need to establish what your preferred targets are. If you load up on power axes you'll lose to weight of dice, especially Orks, but Imperial Guard blob squads and Kroot Kindred can take their toll on you also.

 

I'd take no more than 2 AP2 weapons per 5 as you'll want to maintain flexibility to scythe through these hordes.

[Excubitor]

I have ten made - 3 with mauls, 2 with axes, champion with axe/relic blade, 4 with swords (including banner bearer). And that's the way they will stay (can't see GW not FAQ'ng the relic blade on the champ). Will mix-and-match what I need in smaller squads.